The fastest way to capture your screen on Dell

On a Dell computer running Windows, press Print Screen (often labeled PrtScn) to capture your entire screen, or press Windows key + Shift + S to open the screenshot tool and select just the area you want. The Print Screen method copies the image to your clipboard so you can paste it into an email, document, or image editor. The Windows key + Shift + S method lets you draw a box around what you want to capture before saving it.

Both methods work on any Dell laptop or desktop running Windows 10 or Windows 11. If your Dell is older and runs Windows 7 or Windows 8, Print Screen still works the same way, though the Shift + S shortcut may not be available.

Key Takeaways

  • Press Print Screen alone to copy your entire screen to the clipboard, then paste it into any program.
  • Press Windows key + Shift + S to open a tool that lets you draw a box around just the part of the screen you want to save.
  • If Print Screen does nothing, check that Num Lock is off on your keyboard, or try the Fn key plus Print Screen on some Dell laptops.
  • Screenshots go to your clipboard first — you must paste them into a program or use the screenshot tool's save button to keep them as files.

Using Print Screen to capture your whole screen

Press the Print Screen key once. You will not see any visual feedback — no flash, no sound, no notification. The entire screen is now copied to your clipboard. Open the program where you want to use the image: Outlook for an email, Word for a document, Paint for an image file, or Snipping Tool if you want to save it as a file.

Once the program is open, right-click in the space where you want the image and select Paste, or press Ctrl + V. The screenshot appears. If you used Paint or another image editor, go to File and select Save As to give it a name and choose where to store it.

Print Screen captures everything on your screen at that moment — your taskbar, any open windows, your desktop background, all of it. If you want to capture only one window or a specific area, use the Windows key + Shift + S method instead.

Using Windows Shift S to select and save a specific area

Press Windows key + Shift + S together. Your screen will dim slightly and your cursor will change to a crosshair. Click and drag to draw a box around the part of the screen you want to capture. Release the mouse button when you have outlined the area.

A small notification will appear in the bottom right corner of your screen. Click it to open the screenshot in the Snipping Tool, where you can annotate it with a pen or highlighter, crop it further, or save it as a file. If you do not click the notification, the image stays in your clipboard and you can paste it into any program the same way you would with Print Screen.

This method is useful when you want to capture only one window, a single paragraph of text, or a specific part of a web page without including the rest of your screen.

Troubleshooting when Print Screen does not work

If you press Print Screen and nothing happens, the most common cause is that Num Lock is turned on. On many Dell keyboards, Print Screen shares a key with the number pad. Press the Num Lock key (usually in the upper left of the number pad) to turn it off, then try Print Screen again.

On some Dell laptops, you may need to hold the Fn key while pressing Print Screen. The Fn key is usually in the bottom left corner of the keyboard. Try Fn + Print Screen or Fn + Windows key + Shift + S.

If neither of those works, open the Snipping Tool directly by clicking the Windows Start button, typing "Snipping Tool," and pressing Enter. The Snipping Tool has its own button to capture your screen and always works on any Dell computer running Windows.

Saving screenshots as files instead of pasting them

When you use Print Screen, the image goes to your clipboard temporarily. If you want to save it as a permanent file on your computer, you have two options. The first is to paste it into Paint (search for "Paint" in the Start menu), then go to File and click Save As. Choose a folder, give the file a name, and select the file type — PNG and JPG are the most common.

The second option is to use the Snipping Tool or the newer Snip & Sketch app. Press Windows key + Shift + S, draw your box, click the notification that appears, and then click the Save button (the disk icon) in the toolbar. Choose where to save the file and what to name it.

Screenshots saved as files stay on your computer permanently and can be opened, edited, or shared later. Screenshots left in your clipboard disappear as soon as you copy something else or restart your computer.

Where screenshots are stored on your Dell

If you save a screenshot using Paint or the Snipping Tool, you choose the folder yourself when you click Save As. Most people save them to the Documents folder or the Desktop so they are straightforward to find.

Some programs automatically save screenshots to a specific folder. For example, if you use the Xbox Game Bar (built into Windows 10 and 11), screenshots go to a folder called Captures inside your Videos folder. To find it, open File Explorer, click Videos on the left, then look for the Captures folder.

If you are not sure where a screenshot ended up, open File Explorer and use the search box in the upper right. Type the date you took it (for example, "2024-01-15") or search for ".png" to see all PNG image files on your computer.

Using the Snipping Tool for more control

The Snipping Tool is a built-in Windows program that gives you more options than Print Screen alone. Open it by clicking the Windows Start button, typing "Snipping Tool," and pressing Enter. Click the New button (or the Mode dropdown on older versions) and choose the type of capture you want: Free-form (draw any shape), Rectangular (draw a box), Window (click a window to capture it), or Full screen (capture everything).

After you make your selection, your screen will dim and you can draw or click to capture. The screenshot opens in the Snipping Tool window, where you can draw on it with a pen, highlight text, erase parts, or crop it. Then click File and Save As to store it as a file.

The Snipping Tool is slower than Print Screen if you just need to paste a quick image, but it is worth opening if you want to mark up the screenshot, save it when ready, or capture only a specific window.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I take a screenshot of just one window?

Yes. Press Alt + Print Screen to capture only the window that is currently active (the one you are using). This copies it to your clipboard just like regular Print Screen. You can also use Windows key + Shift + S and draw a box around just the window you want.

What file format should I save screenshots in?

PNG is the best choice for most screenshots because it keeps the image sharp and does not lose quality. JPG works if you want a smaller file size, but it can make text look blurry. Both are widely supported and can be opened on any computer.

Why does my screenshot look blurry or pixelated?

This usually happens if you saved a screenshot as a JPG file. Try saving it as PNG instead, which preserves the sharpness of text and images. If you already saved it as JPG, take the screenshot again and save it as PNG.

Can I take a screenshot of my entire screen if I have multiple monitors?

Yes. Press Print Screen and it captures all monitors at once. If you want to capture only one monitor, use Windows key + Shift + S and draw a box around just the monitor you need, or use the Snipping Tool and select the Window option.

Where do screenshots go if I do not save them?

They stay in your clipboard until you paste them or copy something else. If you close your computer or restart it, unsaved screenshots are lost. Always save screenshots as files if you need to keep them longer than a few minutes.